Chicago Cubs Top 100 Prospects: 50-26

49. Bailey Horn, LHP, 24, Double-A Tennessee

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Control: 40 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

The Cubs acquired Bailey Horn in a 2021 trade that sent Ryan Tepera to the Chicago White Sox. At the time, many thought the trade was an outright win for the Sox. Tepera went to the South Side, pitched to a 2.50 ERA and 12.0 K/9 in the regular season, and logged a 1.93 ERA and 0.429 WHIP in the postseason. Meanwhile, Horn put up a 4.98 ERA in seven appearances with High-A South Bend after posting a 13.09 ERA, 2.091 WHIP, and 9.0 BB/9 with High-A Winston-Salem.

However, Horn’s “stuff” was never in question. He just needed to figure out his command and see if he could make things work professionally. In 2022, Horn quickly showed he had figured some things out. He won five Biggest Yes awards in my “Around the Farm” series, which was third in the system behind only Matt Mervis and Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Horn threw 10.0 scoreless innings with South Bend, giving up just two hits and striking out 16. He was elevated to Double-A Tennessee where he put together a respectable 3.46 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 41.2 innings. Then, in the Arizona Fall League with Mesa, Horn gave up just two earned runs in 12.0 innings and had a 1.083 WHIP. He has a plus fastball and his breaking stuff is very good, especially if he can command them better. The future looks bright for the lefty.

48. Christian Franklin, OF, 22, Low-A Myrtle Beach

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

47. BJ Murray Jr., 1B/3B, 23, High-A South Bend

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Arm: 40 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

46. Yeison Santana, IF, 22, High-A South Bend

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

45. Kevin Made, SS, 20, High-A South Bend

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

44. Danis Correa, RHP, 23, Triple-A Iowa

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 40 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 35 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

Danis Correa is a guy I really like, and I could see him occupying a bullpen role for the Cubs by 2024. The fastball is electric, consistently in the upper 90s with several 100 MPH pitches gracing the radar. His slider and changeup are consistently in the 90s, too, and he also has a low-80s curveball in his repertoire.

Correa has a lot of work to do when it comes to his command, especially with his secondary offerings, but he could make his way to Chicago this season—mainly due to the heater. If Correa can figure out locating his pitches and continue to develop his off-speed stuff, he could be a legit bullpen arm in the MLB for years to come.

43. Javier Assad, RHP, 25, MLB Chicago

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 40 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

42. Chase Strumpf, IF, 24, Double-A Tennessee

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 45 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

41. Zac Leigh, RHP, 25, Double-A Tennessee

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 40 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

40. Christopher Paciolla, IF, 18, ROK

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 45 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

Paciolla was the Cubs' third-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Temecula Valley High School in California. He signed with Chicago for an over-slot bonus of $900,000 and joined the ACL Cubs after that. With his profile (6-foot-2 and 185 lbs), Paciolla figures to shift from shortstop to third base primarily as he builds muscle to add power to his game. Still, he has a solid enough glove and arm to be a shortstop in a pinch and can definitely play second, too.

At the plate, Paciolla’s bat speed stands out. He already profiles as a strong contact hitter, but his physical makeup signals that he can develop plus power. It wouldn’t be out of the question to see Paciolla hitting over .260 with 20-plus home runs one day. That’ll play.

39. Reginald Preciado, IF, 19, Low-A Myrtle Beach

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

38. Jake Slaughter, IF, 26, Double-A Tennessee

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 45 | Field: 40 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

Jake Slaughter is on the older side for a prospect, but his 2022 season provided plenty of reasons for excitement. Simply put, Slaughter can rake, and he can run. Between High-A South Bend and Double-A Tennessee, the utility infielder hit 21 doubles and 23 home runs. Beyond that, he swiped 36 bases, only getting caught eight times.

He actually performed significantly better in Tennessee against tougher competition than he did in South Bend, slashing .293/.389/.534 with 17 doubles, 20 homers, and 28 stolen bases. Expect him to be expedited to Iowa in 2023 where he could possibly be right on the cusp of a cup of coffee in the majors.

37. Bryce Ball, 1B, 24, Double-A Tennessee

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Arm: 40 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

36. Ezequiel Pagan, OF, 22, Low-A Myrtle Beach

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm: 40 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

35. Pablo Aliendo, C, 21, High-A South Bend

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

34. Darius Hill, OF, 25, Triple-A Iowa

Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 35 | Run: 50 | Arm: 45 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

I’m probably higher on Darius Hill than most people, but his contact skills are way too flashy to ignore. Hill puts the ball in play, gets on base, and doesn’t strike out. Between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa, Hill slashed .314/.359/.453. More than that, he delivered clutch hits consistently and produced even better once he was promoted to Iowa.

Hill plays all three outfield spots and handles each spot serviceably. Looking to the MLB level, he projects in the role of a fourth outfielder who can move around as needed and provide a contact bat at the plate in a pinch. The Cubs have a lot of depth, especially in the farm system, to cover the outfield this season, but I’d love to see Hill get a shot.

33. Jordan Nwogu, OF, 23, High-A South Bend

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 40 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

Jordan Nwogu seems to be a monster in the making at the plate. It makes sense, given the natural athleticism he brings to the table. While Nwogu’s speed may simmer as he continues to fill out his frame and add to his power profile, he stole 19 bases in 2022 after swiping 16 in 2021. Where Nwogu’s potential shines is in his budding power. The 2020 third-round pick hit 15 home runs with South Bend to go along with the 10 he hit in his first professional season.

In the field, Nwogu will likely be a left fielder long-term. He has the tools to be a decent one, too. In a perfect world, Nwogu projects as a middle-of-the-order bat who could consistently hit 25-plus home runs. If he can keep getting on base at the clip he has been so far in the minors, Nwogu can carve out an MLB role.

32. Alexis Hernandez, SS, 17, ROK

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

31. Drew Gray, LHP, 19, ROK

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

30. Moises Ballesteros, C, 19, Low-A Myrtle Beach

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 40 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

Ballesteros’ potential right now is based almost solely on his offensive projections. Even at 19, he showcases quick hands and good bat-to-ball skills. Ballesteros also showcases advanced vision and discipline at the plate for his age. Between the ACL and Myrtle Beach, he slashed .257/.352/.461 in his age-18 season. While his production did taper off against more advanced competition in Low-A, he still got on base at a .349 clip. Add in the fact that he’s a left-handed hitter, and he’s an intriguing offensive prospect at catcher.

Regarding position versatility, Ballesteros doesn’t have much to offer. He can be a decent catcher and a DH. Right now, he does an alright job with pitch blocking and receiving behind the plate, but his arm is lacking. Stealing second was essentially a guarantee for baserunners in Low-A as Ballesteros threw out just 12 percent of runners. The hope is that he’ll improve in this area as he builds up his strength. In 2021, Ballesteros threw runners out at a 36 percent clip in the DSL against competition closer to him in terms of their development as a prospect.

29. Ryan Jensen, RHP, 24, Double-A Tennessee

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 40 | Overall: 50

Baseball-Reference

The Cubs added Ryan Jensen to their 40-man roster this offseason — a move that certainly caught me by surprise. The righty has some electric stuff, but he has not been able to command his pitches. Jensen had a decent debut with Low-A Eugene after he was drafted in the first round in 2019. In 12.0 innings, he produced a 2.25 ERA and 14.3 K/9. Still, he showcased command issues that continue to persist as he gave up 14 walks in those 12.0 innings.

Jensen’s walk numbers cannot be ignored, having just finished his first full season with Tennessee averaging 5.9 BB/9. The walks and lack of command continued to result in him getting lit up. However, he did have a few showings toward the end of the season that inspired some confidence in a potential turnaround around, even if they didn’t demonstrate inspiration in his command issues. In three starts in August, Jensen averaged a 2.61 ERA and struck out 13 in 10.1 innings before pitching his final game in September, striking out five in 4.0 innings and giving up one hit, two walks, and no runs.

Jensen has a fastball and recently developed a cutter to go along with it, giving him a wide array of pitches to choose from. It may serve him better to shrink his repertoire and focus on commanding them in the long run. I see him as a guy who could thrive in a multi-inning bullpen role more than I see him as a starter.

28. Ben Leeper, RHP, 25, Triple-A Iowa

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Control: 40 | Overall: 50

Baseball-Reference

27. Yonathan Perlaza, OF, 24, Double-A Tennessee

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Arm: 45 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Baseball-Reference

I love Yonathan Perlaza on the baseball field wherever he’s playing. He’s not always the most consistent; in my Around the Farm series in 2022, Perlaza tied for fourth in the Cubs’ farm system in Biggest Yes awards with four, but he also tied for sixth in Biggest Yikes awards with three. He started out super cold in April and May, and — as the temperatures warmed up — so did Perlaza.

The Venezuelan outfielder ended the month of May hitting just .184 with five doubles and six home runs. Contrast that with his final stat line of .255/.358/.492 with 36 doubles and 23 home runs, and you get the picture of how well he did in Tennessee in June and beyond. The continued growth shapes a picture of a prospect to be excited about.

Perlaza can play all across the outfield, but he has primarily slotted into right field. Chances are good he can stick there, too, as he sports an above-average glove and good instincts in the outfield. Projection-wise, Perlaza could certainly produce numbers in the majors similar to the ones he posted this past season. If he can replicate the success he had in 2022, watch out for him to keep rising up this list.

26. Walker Powell, RHP, 26, Double-A Tennessee

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 50

Baseball-Reference

Walker Powell is a name to get familiar with because you could very well see him on the Chicago Cubs this season. In 2022, he simply dominated, and he did it across three levels. With Low-A Myrtle Beach, Powell posted a 2.37 ERA, 25 strikeouts, and just three walks over 19.0 innings. After a promotion to High-A South Bend, the righty continued with his stellar command, pitching to the tune of a 3.93 ERA, walking only five, but striking out just 24 in 34.1 innings.

Quickly, Powell was expedited to Tennessee where he tossed possibly his best showings of the season against much more advanced competition. With the Smokies, Powell pitched 41.1 innings, posted a 1.96 ERA, struck out 38, and walked 13 (still just a 2.8 BB/9). Keep in mind, this is a guy who signed with the Cubs out of Southern Mississippi University in 2021. The 2022 campaign was his first real professional season, and he destroyed batters consistently.

Long-term, Powell could be a starting rotation option, but he is possibly better suited for a Keegan Thompson-type bullpen role. Powell can cover multiple innings, his fastball has only gotten better, and he has command of all of his offspeed stuff. Don’t be surprised if he gets a chance at the MLB level in 2023.

What's On Tap Next?

Next up, we’ll dive into prospects 25-11.

If you see anything on this list you disagree or agree with, let me know on Twitter! I’d love to talk about it with you. Otherwise, stay tuned for prospects 25-11 in the Chicago Cubs farm system.